[William M. Dowd photos] • Second of two parts. (Miss Part 1? Click here.) SARATOGA SPRINGS — New York’s winemakers like to extoll the virtues of the differences in soil and weather that affect the grapes they use to make their wines. New York’s distillers don’t make as much of a distinction. “Marketing our products […]
[Read More]

[William M. Dowd photo] • First of two parts SARATOGA SPRINGS — The outdoor setting was enhanced by lights twinkling on the bare branches of a tree, crisply-painted white framing around windows on green clapboard storefronts, and the French doors on other facades were snugly closed against the winter air. The catch was, this was […]
[Read More]

When I was a newspaper editor for more than 40 years, the joke used to be that too many people didn’t think anything was official until they read it in The New York Times. In today’s Times food section, Florence Fabricant refers to “A new gin from Philadelphia, Bluecoat … .” So, I guess it’s […]
[Read More]

William M. Dowd photo Every now and then a new twist on an old product can be welcome. It helps shake up any complacency you have about your spirits selections. In the matter of gin, I’d long ago fallen into a Bombay Sapphire rut. A wonderful concoction, that Sapphire. So perfect for my palate that […]
[Read More]

I have long felt a special relationship with Bombay Sapphire gin. Sure, I enjoy others — G’vine, Hendrick’s, Boodles and so on, but Sapphire was my first love. Well, it turns out the iconic infused spirit has been seeing other guys — and gals. According to the International Wine and Spirit Record (IWSR), Bombay Sapphire […]
[Read More]

The first spirit one thinks about when Scotland is mentioned is malt whiskey, hands down. But, a new Scottish gin will hit the UK market this weekend. It is Caorunn (pronounced ka-roon), the makers of which can say with certainty that their gin tastes unlike any other and comes in a unique bottle. The recipe […]
[Read More]

William M. Dowd photo One of the big news stories emerging from the annual Tales of the Cocktail extravaganza in New Orleans is that gin is making a comeback. In just one example of numerous stories along the same lines, Nation’s Restaurant News reported that gin “has emerged from relative obscurity to the forefront of […]
[Read More]

Everything old is new again to some extent, especially in the tradition-heavy world of alcoholic spirits. Diageo is relaunching its Tanqueray gin brand with its first global advertising campaign and new packaging. However, the new bottle design returns to the cocktail-shaker shape first introduced in 1948, although the label itself has been changed to give […]
[Read More]